Delivering the Knockout (Stage) Blow - Croatia v Scotland

[The Red Max]

Twas ever thus, the inevitable denouement for Scotland - all or nothing on the last game. So will it be:
A) Glory
B) Failure
C) Glorious Failure

Onwards to eventual triumph, or home before the postcards?

[Patrick Thistle]

Both teams one win away from possibly qualifying.

(And if either team win by a couple of goals and England lose then England could end up third in the group.)

[The Red Max]

*Groan*

https://twitter.com/ScotlandNT/status/1406904877754761220

Luckily none of England's midfield got close enough to him on Friday to catch it.
But who else in the Scotland squad might be deemed as a close contact and have to self-isolate?

[Lang Spoon]

Fuck the fuck off.

[Patrick Thistle]

That is beyond frustrating. Extra testing in the squad from now on, or just wait and hope nobody starts coughing before the final game?

[blameless]

1-1 draw, both teams out.

[Posty Webber]

Ffs

[Satchmo Distel]

1-1 draw, both teams out.

I'd say 0-0 given the finishing of both teams to date. Croatia are tournament savvy, however, whereas none of the Scots have experience of this phase of a competition.

[Discordant Resonance]

And further adding to Lang Spoon's frustration, he'll have to watch it in grainy SD on the RTE News channel.

[Satchmo Distel]

After today's games, the winner definitely goes through (4 points); a draw puts both teams out (2 points) and possibly keeps Finland in (depending on the Spain group).

[scratchmonkey]

Fervently hoping that Clarke doesn't start Dykes for a third straight game.

[Gawpus]

Yeah, same. I can't help but feel a bit bad for not wanting to see Dykes start again - you can't fault him for effort, but he's just not that great.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Yeah, same. I can't help but feel a bit bad for not wanting to see Dykes start again - you can't fault him for effort, but he's just not that great.

He reminds me of Bale.

Christian Bale.

[Posty Webber]

I agree he’s not incredible, but without Oor Wullie do we have the wherewithal to control the ball and play nice balls into Nisbett and Adams? Maybe hoofing it to Dykes is our best chance.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Dykes is still raw. He played 42 matches for QPR last year and scored 12 goals, four penalties and seven of the rest after Charlie Austin joined him upfront after Christmas and was in his ear much of the time. Dykes has got all the tools you'd want in a striker but doesn't yet have a toolkit. It'll come but it'll take a bit of time, and he'll need help. Maybe an international competition isn't the place for that, so be it, but I'd be inclined to stick an older head on with him and see what happens.

[Nocturnal Submission]

I agree he’s not incredible, but without Oor Wullie do we have the wherewithal to control the ball and play nice balls into Nisbett and Adams? Maybe hoofing it to Dykes is our best chance.

I don't think Dykes is too bad, actually. He's certainly carried more of a goal threat in the tournament than Kane, for instance. I just genuinely think that he bears a strong facial resemblence to a young Christian Bale, but maybe that's just me.

[The Red Max]

1-1 draw, both teams out.

I'd say 0-0 given the finishing of both teams to date.

I would agree that a draw is the most likely outcome of this one, but there's always feint hope that we'll scrape a win and finally make it beyond the groups to cling on to, before finally succumbing to the inevitable reality of elimination.
Scotland always seem to reach the final group game with varying prospects of qualification, but in my lifetime I've sat through tournament 3rd game heartbreak against:
Yugoslavia at WC74, Holland at WC78, USSR at WC82, Uruguay at WC86, Brazil at WC90, CIS at Euro 92, Switzerland at Euro 96 and Morocco at WC98.

That's 0-8, so I hope my fellow countrymen will excuse me for not getting too carried away at our prospects prior to kick off.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Both teams one win away from possibly qualifying.

(And if either team win by a couple of goals and England lose then England could end up third in the group.)

Only if Scotland win - if Croatia win, England stay above them on the "head to head".

[Posty Webber]

I don't think Dykes is too bad, actually. He's certainly carried more of a goal threat in the tournament than Kane, for instance. I just genuinely think that he bears a strong facial resemblence to a young Christian Bale, but maybe that's just me.

He’s ok, in that he’s a nuisance and allows McGinn to pick up scraps, but he can’t seem to put ‘em away at this level. I‘ll defer to AdC though, as I’ve only seen him play 10 or so times.

You are right though - he does look like yer man!

[Sunderporinostesta]

I bet Christian Bale would be better at attacking the near post when Robertson’s just about to cross it as well. He’ll start doing it now won’t he?

[imp]

The idea of Scotland winning this game seems impossible to contemplate. I can't get my head around what that might feel like. No doubt I won't have to bother trying...

Pah, just the sort of negative attitude that's always stopped us progressing. But, I just can't be positive. The Red Max already listed the eight reasons why - I did that that whole fucking Hope thing when I was a stupid wee lad and just ended up bawlin'.

It's started raining here. Some omen, I bet.

[CY_Boaby]

Call it a teenage tantrum, but Italia '90 was when I broke up with the national team and we've never really made up since, despite the odd one-night stands. It's a 3am kick-off for me and I have no intention of getting up for it, but I will be listening on catch-up. I'm refusing to get positive because there's never a happy ending when you try and rekindle a failed relationship and I have no intention of being Liz Taylor to the national team's Richard Burton.

If anyone needs me for any relationship advice; I'm listening.

[Posty Webber]

Let’s do this

[Ray de Galles]

COME ON, SCOTLAND!

[Discordant Resonance]

The crowd are certainly pumped up, at any rate!